-Taped from Santa Clara, CA
-Your host is Lenny Leonard
-Chuck Taylor is in the ring with cups and a table. After his win to solidify the number one seed in the Evolve tournament, he wants to celebrate. It’s beer pong time. Taylor lays down an open challenge for beer pong. One guess who comes out. Of course Arik Cannon walks out with enough Pabst Blue Ribbon to not throw a stick at. Instead of the usual ten cups, this is best two-out-of-three falls (putting in wrestling terms for the kids out there). Taylor rules at this game. Cannon doesn’t. Taylor wins 3-0. Cannon throws the ball at Taylor. Taylor throws back. Cannon steps on the ball, and it is on.
-Arik Cannon vs. Chuck Taylor
Match in Five Words or Less: Party Foul
Match Summary: Running knee strike sends Cannon from the apron to the floor. Cannon nails Taylor with a beer can and drinks it. Chop from Cannon. Taylor with forearms. Choking by Taylor as he uses his shirt. Taylor sets some chairs up on the outside. Cannon counters a suplex attempt. Cannon with a blow to the back. Suplex on the chairs. Cannon gets a beer from the bar. Taylor with a kick to the midsection. Cannon sent into the ring post. Taylor goes to the bar. Leaping dive hits. Cannon throws the shirt and hits a knee strike. Uranagi and kick from Taylor. Stomp to the head. Taylor sets up for a powerbomb. Cannon rams him into the corner. Exploder in the corner. Double axehandle. Taylor placed on the top rope. Taylor fights back with forearms. Cannon sent head first into the turnbuckle. Forearm and a springboard dropkick. Superkick by Cannon. Total Anarchy. 1-2-NO! Superplex attempt blocked by Taylor. Right hand from Cannon. Taylor tosses a chair and Cannon bumps through the table. Taylor gets three.
Match Analysis: This was goofy fun. Both guys are capable of more, but given that it’s the opener, I almost liked seeing them do something different. This was relatively short and painless. Much longer and the joke likely would have worn thin. As is, this was a decent five minute match.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Chuck Taylor/4:35/*1/2
-FRAY!
Match in Five Words or Less: The Swerve
Match Summary: Ray Rosas starts with B-Boy. B-Boy with a series of misses. Armdrag and headscissors by Rosas. Chop in the corner. Another one and B-Boy is not impressed. Ridiculous forearm. Chop in the corner. Whip but Rosa comes out. Acecrusher by B-Boy. Rosas prevents from being thrown out but can’t prevent the kick to the face. Headscissors turned all the way around into a DDT. Johnny Yuma enters and tosses Rosas out. B-Boy misses clothesline and elbows. Big right hand on Yuma. Rosas with a backcracker on B-Boy. Headscissors. Lucha armdrag by Rosas on Yuma. Back kick and rocker dropper. Michinoku driver but Yuma stays alive. B-Boy with a knee to Yuma. Yuma whipped. Tornado DDT. Facebuster with the feet as I just realized his gear is an homage to 1-2-3 Kid. Johnny Goodtime comes in and gets tossed out. B-Boy with an air raid crash on Rosas. Rosas is done. Goodtime trips B-Boy. Yuma and Goodtime double team as if they’ve teamed before. DVD but B-Boy gets his knees up in the back of Goodtime. Elbows on Goodtime as both are on the top rope. Guillotine. Goodtime DVDs Yuma on top of B-Boy. B-Boy is eliminated just as Drake Younger heads in the ring. Double team by the Johnnies. Younger with jabs. Noggin knocker. Double bulldog. Right hand on Goodtime. Whip across and a forearm. Overhead throw sends Yuma into the corner. Yuma holds on. Goodtime with a dropkick. Younger ducks and spears Goodtime who had Yuma in the firemen’s carry. Brian Cage is next. Younger sitdown powerbomb takes out Yuma. Cage lariats Goodtime. Tilt a whirl backbreaker followed immediately by another one. Powerslam on Goodtime. Cage brings him up and over. Done. Younger with forearms. Back and forth they go. Younger whipped in the corner. Elbow. Cage catches Younger in a suplex. Small package gets two for Younger. Boot to the midsection. Discus lariat by Cage. Famous B runs in. Springboard cross body on Cage. Leg lariat. Leg kick. Cage reverse whips. Up and over. Superkick. Swanton. Drake’s Landing. B is done. Younger and Cage are left alone again. Cage sends Younger up and over. Kick to the head. Suplex over the top rope. BRIAN CAGE IS A FUCKING MACHINE! Brian Kendrick comes out with his students but holds them back. Cage crotches Younger. Back and forth they go. Sunset bomb. Frog splash but Younger gets two. Kendrick heads to the ring. Forearms by Cage. Burning hammer. 1-2-NO! Younger down. Forearm exchange. Headbutt by Younger. Cage rolls out of the full nelson. Roll-up by Younger gets three. Kneepads come down. Kendrick sends his students in. Kendrick is also in there. SWERVE as Kendrick delivers Sliced bread and gets the win.
Match Analysis: I’m not sure what the point of this was. I know it’s three years ago, but Kendrick did lose a stipulation match whereby he was kicked out of DG USA. This wasn’t addressed or brought up. Considering Kendrick hasn’t exactly put on a lot of stellar independent wrestling performances. I’d have much rather seen Cage or a revitalized Younger take on Gargano instead. To me, the idea of these FRAYS is to have up and coming talent earn chances. There are a ton of west coast talents who deserve more love. This could have been a really fun spotfest, but it went far too short and the pinfalls came too rapidly for anything significant to be gained through the match… and then a guy in a t-shirt and jeans wins.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Brian Kendrick/13:11/**
-Rich Swann vs. Eita
Match in Five Words or Less: CHARISMA
Match Summary: This is one of those matches you don’t get excited for until it’s in the ring right in front of you. Feeling out process. Dropkick by Eita nails Swann in the lower nether regions. Stomp by Eita on Swann. Pace picks up. Dropkick by Swann. Stomp. Eita sent into the top turnbuckle. Right hands on Eita. Chop in the corner. Swann drops Eita and hits a kick in the back. Elbow off the middle rope. Seated abdominal stretch. Swann with an ankle lock and a boot on the neck. Cover but Eita grabs the bottom rope. Stomp. Back elbow. Chinlock. Chop. Kick from Eita. Boot by Swann. Eita catches himself and hits a springboard dropkick on the other side. Swann pulls him off the apron. Eita with a chop. Swann with a chop of his own. Back and forth they go. Boot by Swann. German suplex but Swann ends up on his feet. DDT on the stage by Eita. Moonsault off the stage. Elbow and Swann sent into the ring. Dropkick hits. 1-2-NO! Forearm on Swann. Reverse by Swann. Boot out of the corner by Eita. Enziguri and standing rana. Rolling frog splash. Eita counters a suplex and hits a neckbreaker. Eita takes the long way toward driving Swann into the mat. Springboard moonsault off the middle rope. Swann holds onto the top rope. Chops by Eita. Handspring acecrusher by Swann. To the top rope. Frog splash. 1-2-NO! Forearm exchange. Chop by Eita. Spin kick by Swann. Forearm as Eita follows up. Dropkick catches Swann in the head. Reverse Angle Slam. 1-2-NO! Plant slam. Moonsault misses. Spinning enziguri by Swann. Standing 450. 1-2-NO! Roll-up and Eita nearly steals the win. Superkick by Swann. Doctor Bomb. Kick to the head. Cartwheel into the corkscrew press (barely hit it) and Swann gets a rare singles win.
Match Analysis: It didn’t take long, but Eita may already be one of DG USA’s best undercard/midcard performers. He’s shown a great ability to wrestle a lot of the top American stars. He’s got a very bright future, and I hope he can be elevated quickly in Japan. Other than the finish and some awkwardness in the beginning, this was a very fun high flying affair with a great pace and an example of not going too overboard with moves.
-Swann says he’s the best high flyer in the world and lays down an open challenge. Wonder what AR Fox and Ricochet think of this development.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Rich Swann/16:00/***
-Samuray Del Sol vs. AR Fox (Open the United Gate Champion)
Match in Five Words or Less: The Rematch
Match Summary: This is a rematch of the 2012 Jeff Peterson Cup final which Del Sol won. Up and around with am armdrag for Del Sol. Fox takes him up and over. Dive misses by Fox. Del Sol fake dives. Series of counters as neither man can hit moves. Waistlock by Del Sol. Fox counters. To the headlock. Off the ropes. Del Sol with a headscissors. Armdrag after Fox gets out of the way. Fox takedown. Del Sol leapfrog. Dropkick by Fox. Sliding dropkick to the head. Forearm. Bodyslam. Split-legged moonsault but Del Sol gets out of the way. Armdrag off the rope. Shoulder to the midsection. Rolling DVD and another dropkick by Del Sol. Springboard 450 misses. Fox with a springboard dropkick. Springboard flip kick on Del Sol. Forearm on Del Sol. Back in the ring. Fox with a kick. Vertical suplex. Whip across. Diving clothesline. Skins the cat and a dropkick by Fox. Shooting star cannonball. Fox places Del Sol along the middle rope. Charging and Del Sol has his neck snapped along the middle rope. Fox charges. Del Sol does the splits. Del Sol with a springboard dive to the outside. Wow. Fox sent back in the ring. Del Sol misses the springboard. Yoshi tonic but only two. To the middle rope. Fox with forearms. Lo Main Pain countered just in time. Springboard reverse rana. Del Sol covers. 1-2-NO! Kick by Fox. Twister. Del Sol rolls outside. Lo Main Rain and Fox nearly hits his head on a chair. THIS GUY has a death wish. Springboard 450. 1-2-NO! Lo Main Pain but Del Sol holds on. Reverse rana blocked. Meteora to the back of Del Sol’s head. Del Sol comes back quickly with a reverse rana of his own. Both men are down. Forearms. Standing sliced bread by Del Sol. 1-2-NO! Del Sol on the top rope. Forearms by Fox. Enziguri. Kick to the back of the head. Lo Main Pain out of the springboard. WOW! 1-2-3!
Match Analysis: The thing that separates these two from so many other wrestlers is their ability to innovate and break out new combinations of moves. Think about the Lo Main Pain, an impressive move to be sure, but Fox added another wrinkle here. Fox is showing a bit more attitude and personality this weekend. This will serve him well if he wants to make the jump to WWE. I could watch matches like this all day because this is the kind of action that differentiates DG USA from a lot of other companies. Great fast-paced action.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: AR Fox/14:13/***1/2
-Young Bucks attack Fox right away. Tombstone spike piledriver.
-Sami Callihan vs. Akira Tozawa
Match in Five Words or Less: From Former To Future?
Match Summary: This is incredibly a rematch from United: New York, which took place two years ago almost to the weekend. Tozawa wrestled a former WWE superstar in Morrison the previous night. Could he be wrestling a future WWE superstar here? Bicycle kick and an exploder by Callihan. Clothesline. Bicycle kick by Tozawa. Back suplex of his own. Both men are down in the corner already. Tozawa catches Callihan with a forearm. Stretch muffler. Tozawa kicks him away. Running knee strike misses. Callihan with a diving lariat and tope suicida. Callihan sent into the post. Tozawa sends him in the ring. German suplex into the side of the ring by Tozawa. Back in the ring. Callihan has to get in at 19. Stomp by Tozawa. Snapmare and a kick to the back. One count so Tozawa kicks him for fun. Choking along the bottom rope. Bodyslam and standing senton. Another one. Callihan sent head first into the top turnbuckle. Chops. Short right hand. Callihan placed on the top rope. Right hand exchange. Superplex blocked. Sunset bomb blocked. Low superkick by Callihan. Bodyslam sends Tozawa into the bottom rope. Figure four leglock turned into the trailer hitch. Tozawa grabs the bottom rope. Stomps by Callihan on the leg of Tozawa. Spinning toe hold. Slap and spit. Headbutt. Chinlock. Tozawa to the bottom rope. Headbutt. Forearms. Tozawa gets control. Bicycle kick exchange. Tozawa hits a release German suplex. Bicycle kick from both men! Both have to recover. Forearm by Tozawa. Boot by Callihan. Leg kick by Callihan. Forearms by Tozawa. He spits. Tozawa with stiff forearms. German suplex blocked. Enziguri misses. Underneath and a back suplex by Tozawa. Running forearm and a brainbuster. 1-2-NO! Tozawa puts Callihan on the top rope. Slaps. Bicycle kick by Tozawa. Superplex. German suplex. Callihan counters to one of his own. Tozawa hits two Germans in a row. Elbow by Tozawa. Shoulder breaker by Callihan. Slap to Tozawa. Dragon screw leg whip. Figure four leglock. Tozawa reverses. Callihan rolls back through.Tozawa begins kicking away. Shining wizard. 1-2-NO! Leg kick by Callihan. Forearm exchange. Series of slaps. Tozawa spits in Callihan’s face. Headbutt and sitdown powerbomb. Stretch muffler. Hands go down twice but Tozawa stays alive. Roll-up for two. Bicycle kick. A second one. Callihan flips him off. Third bicycle kick. A fourth to the back. German suplex into the bridge. 1-2-NO! Callihan holds onto the top rope. Straightjacket German suplex and Tozawa finally wins.
Match Analysis: The tone of the match was set right from the beginning. No feeling out process as they went right to kicking and punching each other in the face. Very impressed with the stamina of both guys as they delivered another in a series of really good matches tonight. I only wish both guys could have more defined heel and babyface roles to really make people care. The crowd might have been split either way, but it really affects how both guys work. Ironically enough, both men have the same problem of not being given defined roles.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: Akira Tozawa/17:48/***1/2
-Jimmy Susumu and Ryo Saito vs. The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson)
Match in Five Words or Less: 2-0
Match Summary: Callihan and Tozawa may not know what they are, but the Bucks are pure heels in every sense of the word. Matt starts with Saito. Exchange of basic holds to start. Matt spits at Saito before tagging Nick in. Susumu joins Nick. Boot to the midsection and a headlock. Shoulder tackle. Nick leapfrogs. Lucha armdrag and a dropkick. Nick kips up. Down to the mat for some crotch action. Susumu with a dropkick and he mocks Nick. Into the corner. Shoulder blocks. Knee placed in the back. Saito with a dropkick. Saito steps on Nick’s face. Running diving elbow. Stomps as Nick is in the corner. Choking along the bottom rope. Nick sent head first into the corner. Susumu into the corner. Right hands by Matt. Stomps. Saito kicks a prone Matt in the midsection. Double back elbows. Nick distracts the official. Jimmyz go to town and put all their body weight on Matt. Running knees. Saito hits a double stomp. Elbows. Right hand exchange. Nick trips Saito and brings him to the outside. Necktie into the dropkick by Nick. Saito is sent to the floor. Let the heat segment on Saito begin! Saito sends Nick off the apron and hits an overhead throw on Matt. Bucks cut Susumu off. Whip. Matt collides with his brother. Exploder by Susumu. Mugen attempt blocked. Matt with a back drop. Jumbo No Kachi. DDT for two. Matt with a superkick out of the corner. Springboard chinbreaker. Saito breaks the count. Lighting fast duel clotheslines to the corner hit by the Japanese duo. Nick up and over. Back inside with a facebuster on Saito. Right hands. Snap rana by Saito. Sitdown powerbomb. He calls for his partner. Susumu sent into Saito. Series of counters. Nick with a running knee on Susumu. Matt with an acecrusher. Nick hits a shining wizard. 1-2-NO! Scoop slam by Nick. Moonsault but he lands on his feet. Assisted German suplex by the Jimmyz. Jumbo No Kachi. Sunset German suplex into the corner. Jumbo No Kachi on Matt. Saito lifts Matt up. Matt out of the hold. Double Cross. 1-2-NO! Nick breaks out and sends Susumu out of the ring. Matt with a clothesline on Saito. Lariat/enziguri combination. Bucklebomb into the enziguri. Susumu superkicked off the apron by Matt. More Bang for your Buck and the Bucks win their second straight second match.
Match Analysis: Look, the Young Bucks are awesome. Saito and Susumu were alright, but they didn’t exactly tear the house down with their effort. This was a good, although very far from great contest. I liked the ending sequence a great deal and love the Bucks as heels who somehow won cleanly. This will actually help get them over as threats. The promos and random attacks on guys like Fox will get them over as heels.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: The Young Bucks/16:49/***
–Bucks reiterate many of the same things they said the previous night and want the United Gate titles.
– No Ropes Match: Open the Freedom Gate Championship: Johnny Gargano (champion) vs. Jon Davis
Match in Five Words or Less: Gargano Rules
Match Summary: After hearing from Gargano in a promo and from the fans in regards to no one caring about Davis the last few months, I question why this is main eventing a show or even happening. Gargano with left hands. Davis fires one in. Gargano comes back with more left hands. Davis sends the champion down with a right hand. Whip. Gargano with a midsection superkick. Davis knee to the gut. Whip. Gargano slides and comes from behind with a chop block. Left knee driven into the mat. Davis chokeslams Gargano on the apron. Clothesline misses once. Lariat against the post. Davis kicks Gargano away. Chair to the face. Figure four leglock on the post. Boots back in the ring. Davis shoves him away. Powerslam from the challenger. Short clothesline but Gargano rolls into the GargaNo Escape. Davis has to head out of the ring. Into the firemen’s carry. Back first into the post goes Gargano. Kick to the back makes a rather loud thud. Clubbering blow to the back. Forearm. Gargano comes back with some of his own. Davis hits a suplex on the ramp. Headbutt. Davis moves the ring steps around. Blow to the back. Bodyslam. Davis brings a turnbuckle in the ring. Fish hook using a part of the turnbuckle! Gargano won’t give. That was revolting. Pun very much intended. Curb stomp. Stomp to the back. He sets the stairs up near the first row. Enziguri by the champion. Sliding dropkick. Cannonball senton and they go about three rows deep. Chairs thrown on top of Davis. A lot of them in fact. Davis no sells. Gargano’s leg tossed awkwardly into one of the chairs. To the top of the steps. Gargano comes back with a sunset bomb on the apron. Gargano goes for a ladder. He sets it up back in the ring. Davis with a blow to the back. Elbows from Gargano. Swinging DDT countered. Gargano counters that into the DDT. 1-2-NO! Chair shot across the head. More chairs tosses to and on top of Davis. Gargano leaps. Davis hits a spinebuster ON THE CHAIRS! Back in the ring. Davis tosses a chair. Duck of the clothesline and a toss of the chair. Davis tosses it in his face. Powerslam on the chair. 1-2-NO! Davis grabs a chair and taunts the fans. Shot across the neck and back. He sets up for a powerbomb. Gargano counters. Drop toe hold sends Davis face first into the post. Gargano lawn darts the ladder into Davis’s head. Hurts Doughnut into the ladder. 1-2-NO! Gargano goes backstage for another ladder. Forearm as the prone second ladder is against the apron. Davis sent onto it. Davis powerbombs Gargano into the freaking ladder. Three Seconds Around the World back in the ring. 1-2-NO! Gargano counters. Enziguri. Forearm. Superkick. LARIAT! Both men are down. The small crowd has almost been willed into this match. Davis with a ladder shot to he midsection. Gargano hits a superkick. A second one. Third one as Davis’s head is in the ladder. GargaNo Escape! Referee eventually has no choice but to stop the match at last.
Match Analysis: The first official four star match I’m giving in 2013 and it should come as no surprise that it’s one Johnny Gargano who’s in it. Great effort in the ring for both men. Unlike some of the other matches on this card, this told a story (albeit a violent one) where one guy played the underdog and Davis played the vicious heel. They took time between spots and allowed the match to breathe while also bringing the crowd into the match. Absolutely unreal to see Gargano take some of the bumps he did on this night. With El Generico gone, Gargano has to be considered one of the best wrestlers on the independent scene. I cannot say enough good things about this match. I’ll save my Jon Davis rant for Heat and just bask in the spectacle that was this match.
Winner (s)/Time/Rating: STILL Open the Freedom Gate Champion-Johnny Gargano/21:06/****
-Brian Kendrick walks into the ring now. He congratulates Gargano on his victory and continues putting him over. Kendrick talks about his own career and being regarded as too small to wrestle. Challenge laid down for the Open the Freedom Gate title the next night. “Are you a man or are you a mouse?” Thems fighting words. Gargano says he’s a man and basically accepts the challenge. Kendrick mocks him and leaves.
The Verdict: The main event makes this an easy thumbs up. A spectacular way to cap off the show. Another show with a number of very good matches but a mediocre crowd. This was in a sense the story of all DG USA shows. If nothing else, watching Gargano carry this promotion is fun given how great he has become these last three years. Del Sol and Fox had a very innovative match which I’ve seen some give four stars. Not willing to go that high but still an outstanding spotfest. These two matches alone make the show worth your fifteen dollars.
For more information on Dragon Gate USA, please check out their website. To purchase this show and so many other shows from DG USA, Evolve, CZW, etc. on-demand, check out WWN’s website.
For supplemental information on DG USA, including reviews and the chance to watch episodes of Infinity, check out these great resources: Open the Garoon Gate, Open the Tumblr Gate, andOpen the Dragon Gate.
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